Driving assistance apparatus and driving assistance method

Abstract

A driving assistance apparatus includes a position detection part, a road shape recognition part, a steering element, a driving assistance control part that controls the steering element based on the position information and the shape of the road, and an information display control part. The driving assistance control part identifies a target point where lane change needs to be completed based on the shape of the road and further determines a first point and a second point between the target point and the host vehicle. The information display control part displays information on a distance or time from a position of the host vehicle to the first point and information on a distance or time from the position of the host vehicle to the second point.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A driving assistance apparatus comprising:
 a position detection part configured to detect position information of a host vehicle;   a road shape recognition part configured to recognize a shape of a road on which the host vehicle is scheduled to travel;   a steering element configured to change a traveling direction of the host vehicle;   a driving assistance control part configured to control the steering element such that the host vehicle changes lanes based on the position information detected by the position detection part and the shape of the road recognized by the road shape recognition part; and   an information display control part configured to visually present information to a driver driving the host vehicle,   wherein the driving assistance control part identifies a target point where lane change needs to be completed based on the shape of the road recognized by the road shape recognition part and further determines a first point and a second point,   the first point is a point between the target point and the host vehicle,   the second point is a point between the target point and the host vehicle and is closer to the target point than the first point or is the same point as the target point, and   the information display control part displays information on a distance or time from a position of the host vehicle to the first point and information on a distance or time from the position of the host vehicle to the second point.   
     
     
         2 . The driving assistance apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving assistance control part changes lanes up to the first point and does not change lanes beyond the first point. 
     
     
         3 . The driving assistance apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the driving assistance control part recommends lane change by the driver operating the steering element up to the second point and does not recommend lane change by the driver operating the steering element beyond the second point. 
     
     
         4 . The driving assistance apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the information display control part displays a display area having a predetermined size which represents information on a distance or time, and displays a first object having a size corresponding to a distance or time to the first point and a second object having a size corresponding to a distance or time to the second point in the display area. 
     
     
         5 . The driving assistance apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the information display control part continuously arranges and displays the first object in a band or linear shape and the second object in a band or linear shape in a longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         6 . The driving assistance apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the information display control part changes the area of the first object according to a distance or time from the host vehicle to the first point, displays the second object by setting the area of the second object to a certain area in accordance with a distance or time from the first point to the second point when a distance from the target point to the host vehicle is greater than a distance from the target point to the first point, and changes the area of the second object according to a distance or time from the host vehicle to the second point when the distance from the target point to the host vehicle is less than the distance from the target point to the first point. 
     
     
         7 . The driving assistance apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the information display control part sets the area of the second object when multiple lane changes are required to reach the target point to be greater than the area of the second object when one lane change is required to reach the target point. 
     
     
         8 . A driving assistance method comprising:
 a position detection process of detecting position information of a host vehicle;   a road shape recognition process of recognizing a shape of a road on which the host vehicle is scheduled to travel;   a driving assistance control process of controlling a steering element that changes a traveling direction of the host vehicle such that the host vehicle changes lanes based on the position information detected through the position detection process and the shape of the road recognized through the road shape recognition process; and   an information display control process of visually presenting information to a driver driving the host vehicle,   wherein the driving assistance control process identifies a target point where lane change needs to be completed based on the shape of the road recognized through the road shape recognition process and further determines a first point and a second point,   the first point is a point between the target point and the host vehicle,   the second point is a point between the target point and the host vehicle and is closer to the target point than the first point or is the same point as the target point, and   the information display control process displays information on a distance or time from a position of the host vehicle to the first point and information on a distance or time from the position of the host vehicle to the second point.